Method of making bricks



May 6, 1930. w. B. ALcoRN METHOD OF MAKING BRICKS Filed July 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Swarm, www

ATTORNEYS May 6, 1930. w. B. ALcoRN METHOD OF MAKING BRICKS Filed July 2, 1928 24 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 6, 1930i l maar WIIQLIAM'B, ALcoRN, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN VMariani) or MAxINeBRIcxs Appneation mea `v:muy 2,

This invention relates to brick-making apu paratus and tomethodsof making brick,

An object of the invention istoproduce bricks of a more or less rough texture by an r, improved and relatively inexpensive method that will avoid mechanical uniformity in the resulting texturer of the bricks and permit a ready control of the degree ofroughness. Y

'lo to impart an uneven and irregular texture to one or more faces of a brick or similar-building element, by pressing or otherwise imbedding in one or more faces of saidbrick or element particlesor granules of some com bustible material as coal or saw-dust, and to utilize the heat to which' the brick is Y.subjected in its subsequent' burning'to destroy said particles thereby leave a pitted and 'unf' even. surface. Y Y e A further object of the invention isfto provide a suitable apparatus for effectinga substantially uniform distribution .ofparticles of combustible material to a one lor more faces of a row of brickseor a bar ofclay while the same is in a plastic state.` Y These and various other objects the invention attains by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: v

Fig. 1 is a planview of one form of apparatus that may be employed in carryingout the herein disclosed method.

` Fig. 2 is a view ofthe same vin sideelevation and partly in section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the same taken upon the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective said apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a perspectivek detail view of a presser plate which is employed in said appa-v ratus to distribute and imbed the combustible particles in a vertical face of the unburntv bricks or of the clay bar from which said bricks are to be cut.

In these views, the reference character 1 designates an elongated rectangular bar of plastic clay which may or may not have been cut transversely to divide it into a series of l bricks. Saidbar rests upon a table or belt 2V view of p throughout the Width of the latter for presS- 1928. Seriali-No. 289,648.

and isiadapted to be gradually' vadvanced longitudinally by theapplication of pressure to an end of said bar -or byatravel of the ,support 2. The formation of such a bar,.th eV cutting of the same into bricksv and the gradualadvance of the same upon or with a suit-v v able.. support are all characteristic of the .n present practice inmakingbricks.v A more specific-obJectof the invention 1s In carrying out the presentV invention, a hopper 3 or the like is disposed above the bar 1 for-the purpose of distributing par Y ticles of coal, saw-dust orother combustible material upon said bar. As` illustrated5 such material is adapted to be supplied. to lsaid hopper by way of a chute 4 and the hopper bottom is formed with a transversely elongated slot 5 for dischargingmaterial upon. Y

7, carried-'by thelowerend of adsuitable ver-V tical shaft 8, is rotatable vadjacent to the :bot-

tom of said .hopperto insure a substantially uniform flow ofy the material through the slots 5f and' 6.f Thematerial discharges from the slot 5 `in a narrow stream which Vis con-` tinuous acrossthe entirerface of the bar 1V andwhich'owing to the uniform longitudinal advanceof said barefi''ects an approximately uniform distribution of the materialto the entire` top surface of said bar- Upon the front wall of the hopper is exteriorlyhinged at 9. a presser plate. 1K0, whichextends forwardly and inclines downwardly at anacute angle to the bar'1,'having its end portion bent to rest flat upon the top face of said bar ing intosaid face the Vparticles previously delivered thereupon. Thenecessary `pressure is applied to the bearing portion of said plate by a coiled spring 11 retained in place above the said plate by a rod 12-secured to said plate and slidable in a guide member 13, 'archedto straddlefthe bar 1. Said spring is suitablycompressed between the plate and top Vportion of themember 13.

l Thematerial discharging from the two lateral slots `6 is distributed upon the side faces of the bar 1 by a pair,Y of sheet metal presser plates 14, hinged to the side faces of the hopper 3 as indicated at 15. As said plates extend downwardly they are inclined at acute angles to the side. faces of said bari,

their lower edge portions being bent vto form bearingportions in contact'with and parallel to said side faces, said portions being inclined gradually lengthwise of the -bar as best disclosed in Figs.-2. and-5f Owing to the gradual inclination ofthe bearing por-` Vthe hopper 3 and depending therefrom.

Thusit is seenthat the hopper 3 with the three pressure plates hingedthereupon forms a unit forV distributing the combustible particles with approximate uniformity to the top and side faces of the clay bar and forv pressing said'particles into said bar flush with said faces.

It will Vbe understoodv that the combustible particles which are fedl to the'bar 1 are noty uniform in size or shape so thatfthere is'no such vuniformity in the resulting pockets or pits as to suggest a mechanical effect.

the advance of said'bar, and burning out said particles.

3. Themethod of imparting a rough texture tobricks consisting in longitudinally advancing a clay bar from which the bricks are to be cut, distributing particles of a combustible materialto a top lface and to the sides of said bar in the course of its advance, applying pressure to said particles through a further advance of said bar,'to imbed them in said faces of the bar, and subsequently burning out said particles to secure a pitted eifect uponthe faces to'which said particles Wereapp'l-ied.` Y, Y A Y t'.v The method of imparting a rough tex- -ture'tofa brick consisting in distributing particles of combustible material substantially uniformly upon a surface of the brick in its Y original soft condition, pressing 'said parti'- cles into said surface toav substantially flush.

relation' therewith and burning out said particles, asv the brick isbeing burnt.

In testimony whereof I sign thisspecification'.

WILLIAM B ALcoRN.

It is to be understood that the describedy apparatus merely exemplifies one possible means for carrying out the disclosed'method and that numerous other provisions aretreadilyconceivable for effecting a substantiallyV uniform distribution of combustible `particles to one or more faces offa series of bricks int/11 I plastic form orV tol the barl fromjw'hich said;

bricks are to be cut. y y c Y Y `VVhatIclaim is: '2i

V 1'. The method of imparting av roiighltex-H ture to bricks consisting in gradually'advancing al clay bar proportioned for the: cutting of bricks therefrom', imbedding particles of'.

a lcombustiblev material in; atop faceland side faces of said bar, in the course'of its' advance,

and' burning out said particles, through the burning of the bricksformed from said bar to impart va pitted appearance to thesurface to which said particles were applied. s

2L The method ofirnparting a vrough texture'to bricks consisting in gradually advancm0'l a clay bar proportioned `for the cutting of ricks therefrom, distributing particles of combustible material upon a surface'ofgjsaid bar in .the course of itsadvance, pressing said particles Vinto such surface toa substantially flush relation therewith through l-SO 

